Tsion Gurmu (she/her/እሷ) is an Ethiopian-American attorney, writer, and researcher on migration, with special focus on gender and sexuality. Tsion is the first Legal Director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), the first national immigrant rights organization for people of African descent. Tsion is also the Founder and Director of the Queer Black immigrant project (QBip), a Black radical lawyering initiative which provides comprehensive legal representation to LGBTQIA+ Black immigrants while creating a safe space for clients to regain control over their voices through a storytelling project. QBip’s mission is to create a systemic response to meet the legal and social needs of LGBTQIA+ Black immigrants while elevating narratives that illuminate the global injustices of state-sponsored homophobia and anti-Black racism. Tsion is a trusted advisor and board member to many organizations and initiatives, including the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) Board of Directors. Tsion has received recognition for her work at the intersection of international law, immigration, and racial justice by Preet Bharara and CAFÉ 100, change-makers taking action to address the most pressing global issues. She was also selected as a 2018 Forbes 30 Under 30 Law & Policy honoree, OkayAfrica’s 2019 Top 100 Women honoree, NYU School of Law’s 2019 OUTLaw Alumna of the Year, NYU School of Law’s 2020 LACA Under 40 Rising Stars, NYU School of Law’s 2021Women of Color Collective (WoCC) Alumna of the Year, 2022 ABA Top 40 Young Lawyer on the Rise Honoree, and a 2023 New York City Bar Association 33rd Annual Legal Services Award Honoree. Tsion holds a B.A. in Political Science and History, with a minor in Human Rights, from the University of Chicago. She also holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law. She is licensed to practice in New York.
Tsion Gurmu
Member of the Advisory Committee of the ABA Commission on Immigration
